"This player's true concern, I'm told, is not the reaction inside an NFL locker room but outside of it. The player fears he will suffer serious harm from homophobic fans, and that is the only thing preventing him from coming out."

NFL players have actually been the most vocal athletes in the gay rights debate currently taking place because of the Supreme Court's upcoming ruling on Prop 8, which banned gay marriage in California.

"I honestly think the players of the NFL have been ready for an openly gay player for quite some time now. Trust me, the coming out of a player would create much bigger waves outside the locker room than inside."

A really interesting part of this story is that this unnamed player has, ostensibly, come out to Freeman's sources.

So while the public waits for the first active player to come out, people in the NFL world already know a gay active player.

Obviously this player can change his mind at any time, but it'd be a great moment for the league and for sports in general.